As a baker, you may assume that I am also a baking snob. Meaning, I refuse to make things that are not from scratch. While this is majorly true, my baker gene and laziness conflict; there are a few things that I see fair not to make from scratch. My rule is: scratch always, mix when they won’t know you did.
I have tried making brownies many times, with different recipes, from different books. But honestly, none of these end up being better, or even remotely as good as the from-a-box brownies. I don’t know what it is, but to me you just won’t gain from making a brownie from scratch. But it can depend on what kind of brownies you like. I like really fudge-y brownies that are barely baked all the way through, which I have yet to accomplish from scratch. But if you like a cakeiy brownie, I think that it would be possible to make from scratch and meet your expectations. My three favorite brownie mixes are: Duncan Hines, Trader Joe’s truffle brownie mix, and mixes from Ghirardelli.
The other thing I find acceptable to buy instead of bake is pie crust. Let me precede this in saying that I do not really like pie, and do not like making pie. If pie is your thing and you think homemade crust is a must, please don’t be offended. But if I’m going to make a chocolate cream pie or something it’s just easier for me to buy a Pillsbury pie crust or an Oreo crust, depending on what I’m making. My Nana and I made an apple pie with a store pie crust and it was amazing, so save yourself some time and no one will ever know! Is there anything you prefer to mix instead of make from scratch? There are definitely more shortcuts to take that won’t compromise your quality. My rule is: scratch always, mix when they won’t know you did.
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